As the applications for telecommunications systems grow ever numerous and diverse, the need for more efficient communications management systems grows correspondingly great. In a given system, the junction point for voice, data, and other communications hardware can become a spaghetti-like nightmare without appropriately configured and connected communications management racks. For smaller applications, a single, smaller board may suffice, while larger applications may demand many adjacent or arrayed full-size cable management racks.
A known design that has evolved for such racks is one having a tall, rectangular metal frame with various types of electrical equipment mounted thereto or otherwise situated thereon. In a common arrangement, one face of the rack is utilized to accommodate input and output lines while the opposite face is reserved for connecting cables for interconnecting specified inputs to specified outputs. In another common arrangement, a rack system would include several racks adjacently aligned, with the rack on one end of the alignment accommodating input lines and the rack on the opposite end of the alignment providing output lines, the cable connections within and between the intermediate racks serving to appropriately connect the inputs and outputs in the desired configuration, as well as to provide pathways to and from intermediate electrical components.
Though the cable configuration on a particular rack can vary, such racks typically have cabling running vertically proximate the vertical sides of the frame, sometimes in a special channel or similar structure, while specific cables turn to extend horizontally across the rack to connect with a specific active or passive electrical device mounted on the rack, such as a patch panel, splice drawer, connector module or fiber optic enclosure for example. These racks also commonly include horizontal cable routing structure at both the top and bottom ends to accommodate and control cables entering or existing a rack system as well as cables routed between racks spaced apart within a rack system. Duct material or intermediate cable management structure may be used to route and organize the cabling on the rack to whatever degree is necessary in the particular system.
Once such a communications rack or a series of such communications racks is connected in a desirable configuration, however, there are several concerns. One significant concern is aesthetics. The large number and total length of cables in a particular system may present an eyesore in certain applications. Also, an abundance of visible cabling may foster misperceptions relating to the quality or efficiency of the particular connection configuration. Another concern is the protection of the cables and connectors from hostile environmental factors, such as dust or other elements which may degrade connectivity. Protection of the cables, and the configuration more generally, is also desired from inadvertent human contact. Particularly where there may be slack in the cabling, there is a risk of inadvertent disruption of the configuration due to unprotected cables being pulled or snagged by a passerby.
While the above concerns have been recognized, there has been an equal or greater concern about maintaining easy access to the cabling due to the need to frequently change a particular configuration. As such, rack manufacturers have been reluctant to provide much in the way of protection or aesthetic-enhancing structure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,961 to Viklund et al., for example, discloses a cable manager having a number of channel retainers mounted to a vertical channel for facilitating retention of cables within the vertical channel. Such design fails to adequately address aesthetics by removing the cables from view, provides little if any protection from dust or other airborne hazards that may affect connectivity, and offers only a quantum of protection against inadvertent disruption of the configuration. Furthermore, such design requires the opening or pivoting of approximately six distinct channel retainers to access the length of cabling in a single channel.
To address the above-recited concerns pertaining to aesthetics and protection while maintaining efficient access, the present invention includes a management rack for facilitating the routing and organization of a plurality of elongated members. The rack includes a frame, a spanning element having distinct edges thereof attached to the frame at distinct portions thereof, an organizational element disposed on the spanning element for routing and organizing at least some of the plurality of elongated members, a first hinge support disposed in a first location on the frame, a second hinge support disposed in a second location on the frame, and a door having a first hinge for engaging the first hinge support and having a second hinge for engaging the second hinge support whereby the door is rotatable on the hinges between a closed position where the portion of the frame between the first and second hinge supports is substantially covered by the door and thereby generally inaccessible and an open position where the portion of the frame between the first and second hinge supports is substantially uncovered by the door and thereby generally accessible.
In another form, the invention includes a hingeable door for use on a management rack for facilitating the routing and organization of a plurality of elongated members. The rack includes a frame, a spanning element having distinct edges thereof attached to the frame at distinct portions thereof, an organizational element disposed on the spanning element for routing and organizing at least some of the plurality of elongated members, a first hinge support disposed in a first location on the frame, and a second hinge support disposed in a second location on the frame. The hingeable door includes a generally planar panel portion, a first hinge disposed on a first portion of the panel portion for engaging the first hinge support of the frame, and a second hinge disposed on a second portion of the panel portion for engaging the second hinge support of the frame. The door is rotatable on the hinges between a closed position where the panel portion covers a portion of the frame and an open position where the panel portion does not cover the portion of the frame.
In yet another form, the invention includes a cable management rack for facilitating the routing and organization of a plurality of cables. The rack includes a generally rectangular frame including a pair of longitudinal support members each having opposing ends, a pair of transverse support members connecting the longitudinal support members at the opposing ends, an intermediate transverse member extending from one of the pair of longitudinal support members to the other of the pair of longitudinal support members and disposed between and generally parallel to the pair of transverse support members, a plurality of organizational elements disposed on the at least one intermediate transverse member for routing and organizing the plurality of cables, a first hinge-supporting bushing disposed proximate one of the opposing ends of one of the longitudinal support members, a second hinge-supporting bushing disposed proximate the opposing end of the one longitudinal support member, and a door having a generally planar panel portion, a first hinge for engaging the first bushing and a second hinge for engaging the second bushing, whereby the door is rotatable on the hinges between a closed position where the portion of the frame between the first and second hinge supports is substantially covered by the door and thereby generally inaccessible and an open position where the portion of the frame between the first and second hinge supports is substantially uncovered by the door and thereby generally accessible.
The disclosed invention provides an improved combination of aesthetics and protection over known cable management racks while maintaining the ease of access required for such applications.